The history of glass making before the Industrial
revolution can be separated in two stages: in the
first, which began in the 3rd millennium BC and
ended in the period from 100 to 50 BC,
craftsmen discovered how to transform raw
materials into glass and how to make vessels and
other objects either with moulds or by forming a
molten glass around a removable core. Both
techniques were labour-intensive and were
seldom made in big quantities. In the second
stage, beginning in the 1st century AD in the
Syro-Palestinian region, glass workers found that
molten glass could be formed by inflation and
manipulation with tools. Glass blowing enabled
them to make quickly a wide range of shapes,
thus widening its market. However, after the 2nd
century AD, glass is generally found in a more
confined area. The change appears to have taken
place under the Flavian Emperors (69-96 AD), an
era that in many ways represents a watershed in
the history of glass making. It is from this time
onwards that glassblowing in the East and the
West developed along independent lines, the only
exception being fine tableware decorated with
special techniques, which was probably due to
the still unifying factor of the Roman Imperial
administration.

Yet, the most prolific period in the history of
glass in the Eastern Mediterranean was during
the late Roman Empire, when Egypt, Palestine,
Syria, Cyprus, Asia Minor and the north Pontic
region all had flourishing glass industries. With
the increased demand for glass, regionalism
became the dominant factor in the production of
glass vessels. Marked regional differences
existed not only between the glass made in Syria,
Jordan and Palestine, but even between different
parts of Palestine (inland vs coast; Galilee and
Phoenicia vs Judea). The glass industries of these
regions experienced a prolonged period of
growth, and the late Roman and early Byzantine
period were by far the most important not only in
terms of absolute output but also in terms of
typologies used. Only during this period, glass
was finally used by different strata of societies,
sometimes even replacing pottery for certain
functions.

The Palestinian glass industry flourished from the
4th to the early 5th century, following the rule of
the Roman emperor Diocletian (284-305), when
the region enjoyed a time of relative peace in
spite of economic instability. When Constantine
the Great finally emerged as sole ruler in 324,
Palestine benefited from the fact that he targeted
Jerusalem and the Holy Land as main recipients
for his reconstruction program. Exempted from
personal taxation by an Imperial edict in 337, a
large number of skilled craftsmen profited
greatly from the economic boom.